An idea whose time has come

By Carol Gee

From the Clinton Climate Initiative: Many of us are unapologetic Bill Clinton fans. This is one of the reasons why our support has remained strong for so many years: The headline in the 5/16/07 Scientific American reads, "Clinton, cities, unveil $5 bln buildings energy plan." To quote a bit from the story:

Five global banks will raise $5 billion in loans to make existing buildings up to 50 percent more energy efficient with New York, London, Tokyo, Sao Paulo and Johannesburg among the first 15 cities to take part.

Under the plan, unveiled on Wednesday by former President Bill Clinton, city governments and building owners will repay the loans plus interest with savings made from reduced energy costs created by the energy-efficient retrofit.

This is my first post as an invited co-blogger at The Reaction. I feel honored by the opportunity and humbled by the potential increase in readership. Because I am a fan, a frequent reader, a "linker," and a comment poster at The Reaction, Michael and I have been exchanging various types of communication for some time.

For a couple of years I have been among the ranks of those I call the "little bloggers," with my political writing at South by Southwest. There I have various interests to which I regularly turn, including global warming, citizen activism, Congress and our current president (OCP -- the term makes him seem more temporary), the situations in the Middle East, and the European Union, and the space program.

Thanks again to Michael for his vote of confidence. I hope I am able to be up to the good standards of my fellow co-bloggers.